Never before had a play at the Théâtre du Châtelet offered so many twists and turns, even before the three shots. The Ballon d’Or ceremony and the hours that preceded it, on Monday, October 28, offered a suspense that rarely accompanies this great rally in world football. After several hours of uncertainty, it was Rodri, Manchester City’s 28-year-old Spanish midfielder, who painfully climbed onto the stage, crutches in hand, to collect the greatest individual reward that exists for a player. “I never dreamed of winning a trophy like this”he said a few minutes later.
Rodri is the new face of world football, the first successor of the era dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The two giants were absent from the list of thirty nominees for the first time since 2003, after having won thirteen of the last fifteen editions. Rodri alone on stage, a curious paradox when it comes to a collective player par excellence. But at the end of the day, these players are also entitled to honors and those of the day are fully deserved for the Spaniard, very excited at the moment of winning his first Ballon d’Or.
The surprise was therefore double in the Châtelet theater: the winner of the 2024 edition presented a less offensive profile than the usual winners and was ahead of Vinicius (2nd) according to the votes of the hundred jurors. The Brazilian winger had been pointed out for several months as the big favorite, especially thanks to his victory in the Champions League with Real Madrid. In recent years, rumors about the identity of the winner were verified on D-Day and the Parisian ceremony took no one by surprise.
The unexpected turn of events, before the ceremony at the Châtelet theater, transformed this day into a tragicomedy. On the one hand, Real Madrid, upset by Vinicius’ second place finish, canceled their visit to Paris, although Jude Bellingham completed the podium (3rd), ahead of his teammate Dani Carvajal (4th). On the other hand, Manchester City, a bit mockingly, published at the same time on their X account a video with all the goals scored by Rodri in the Premier League last season. As if to give a clue to the result of the vote.
A discreet player, who stays away from social networks
The English champion club could also have added images of the Spanish midfielder resisting opposing pressure, his best tackles, his precise crossbars, his balls distributed in depth, his science of positioning… All this is obviously less striking to the eye. but it is the very essence of Rodri’s game. Without his qualities, Spain would undoubtedly not have won the Euro Cup (the midfielder was voted best player of the competition) and Manchester City the Premier League.
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